FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBREVARD COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATIONTuesday, March 24, 2009

TORNADOS FALL IN SAC OPENER

Katie Brown goes 2-6 with an RBI

Brevard, N.C. - The Tornados opened South Atlantic Conference play on Tuesday afternoon at the BC Softball Field against Newberry College. Newberry took game one of the doubleheader 8-1 and followed up by taking the nightcap as well, 6-0.

Brevard falls to 13-9 in the 2009 season, 0-2 in the SAC, while Newberry improves to 23-6, 4-0 in conference play.

Game 1: Newberry 8, Brevard 1

Jennifer Gift (7-5) went the distance for the Tornados in the first game, allowing 13 hits and eight runs, five earned, while striking out three. Amanda Huckestein (13-2) went the distance in game one for Newberry as well, allowing five hits, striking out seven.

Katie Brown led the Tornados in the first game, going 2-3 with an RBI while Chelsie Hilbourn led Newberry, going 3-3 with a triple and two runs scored.

Newberry got on the board first, scoring two in the top half of the first frame as Aissa Gatewood reached second base on a leadoff bunt that was misplayed by the Brevard defense. Gift retired Sara Powell on strikes and Kat Hammond on a sharp grounder to second, but a double by Huckestein scored Gatewood from third for the first run of the game. Huckestein came around to score on Hilbourn’s triple as the scarlet and gray took the early lead.

Newberry added another pair of runs in the third, as Angela Cataldo singled up the middle scoring Huckestein and Hilbourn to go up 4-0.

The scarlet and gray put another on the board in the fourth as back-to-back doubles by Powell and Hammond led to Powell coming around to score as Newberry went up 5-0.

Brevard put a run across the plate in the bottom half of the inning as Chelsi Mallory led off the inning with a walk. A check-swing grounder by Maddie Fletcher moved Mallory over to second. Katie Brown followed the grounder with a base hit over the Newberry second baseman’s head to score Mallory. The Tornados were unable to get the offense going in the inning though as Huckestein retired Katie Thornburg on strikes and was able to get Beth Brooker to fly out to center.

Newberry would go on to score a run in the top half of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings on their way to building an 8-1 lead.

The Tornados threatened to comeback in the bottom of the seventh as Brooker opened the frame with a single up the middle past a diving shortstop. Kasey Fagan reached on a fielder’s choice as Brooker was forced out at second. A base hit by Sarah Carlos to straightaway center moved Fagan to second as Brevard had two on with one out, but fly balls by the next two Tornados hitters ended game one in favor of the guests.

Game 2: Newberry 6, Brevard 0

Liz Houser (6-4) took the mound for the Tornados in game two, allowing nine hits and six runs (five earned) while retiring seven on strikes. Huckestein pulled double duty for Newberry, pitching the nightcap as well, allowing five hits while striking out six.

Senior right fielder Beth Brooker led the Brevard offense in game two, going 2-3 with a pair of singles, while Hammond was the offensive threat for Newberry, going 3-4 with a home run and a pair of doubles to go with three RBIs.

Newberry scored in the top of the first on Hammond’s two-out solo home run, but Houser came back to retire Huckestein on strikes to end the inning without any further damage.

Brevard placed two runners on in the bottom of the second as Jennifer Brown placed a bloop single down the right field line and Beth Brooker singled on a soft grounder in the infield, but the BC offense was unable to get a run across the plate as Huckestein retired Thornburg on strikes to end the inning.

The Tornados placed two more runners on base in the fourth as Brooker hammered a two-out single down the left field line and Thornburg reached after getting hit by a Huckestein pitch, but Carlos went down on strikes to end the inning.

Newberry broke the game open in the top of the fifth as Christine Stokes drove a one-out pitch from Houser over the fence down the left field line scoring Wiles and Hammond drove in Gatewood on a double to put the scarlet and gray up 4-0.

Newberry added runs in the sixth and the seventh as Richelle Mirabal doubled home Whitney Wiles in the sixth and Hammond doubled home Powell in the last frame to end the scoring.

Brevard put two more runners on base in the bottom of the seventh as Thornburg reached on a one-out walk and Carlos made it to first on a fielding error, but Huckestein retired the final two batters as the visitors took game two.

Brevard takes to the road tomorrow evening as they play a late doubleheader against Queens College of Charlotte. First pitch in the doubleheader between the Tornados and the Royals is set for 5 p.m.